Notes About Pectin for Making Homemade Jam

Pectin is a naturally occurring substance (a polyscaccaride) found in
berries, apples and other fruit. When heated together with sugar, it
causes a thickening that is characteristic of jams and jellies.

You can do that if you wish.. but I'll use the prepared pectin - it is
completely natural and safe. It is an extract from apples (with a tiny
amount of citric acid and dextrose as binders) and doesn't
change the flavor a bit. It just helps thicken, allows you to use less
sugar and less cooking! So unless you have a severe corn or apple allergy, there
shouldn't be anything unsafe nor unnatural about it!

Most pectin you buy at the supermarket is produced in Europe and imported to
the U.S.. It has a limited shelf life; usually you don't want to keep it from
year to year, as it's ability to gel will decrease.

After the jam has been heated and starts to cool, a gel starts to form.

Gelling problems

Too stiff or lumpy jam

If gel formation is too strong, due to way too much pectin, the jam becomes
stiff, lumpy or granular in texture.

Cooking too long, but not at a high temperature, can boil off water, without
breaking the pectin down. This results in jam that is too stiff.

This also occurs if the temperature is too high, for too long, or the jam is
not stirred frequently.

Using underripe fruit, which has more pectin than ripe fruit, with the same
amount of pecton as the recipe requires for ripe fruit, also makes stiff jellies
and jams. FYI, commercial pectin is intended for use with fully ripe (but not
overripe) fruit.

Runny Jam

Undercooking (it must hit a full rolling boil for ONE minute) or too little
pectin or sugar leads to runny jam.

Overheating - that is too high temperatures or uneven heat distribution
builds excess heat which causes the pectin to break down. This is why you
shouldn't double batches - due to inherently uneven heating of home cookware -
commercial canning equipment is design to heat more uniformly.

The chemistry of the gel

If you are interested in the chemistry of a gel, Wikipedia tells us that in

"high-ester pectins at soluble solids content above 60% and a pH-value
between 2.8 and 3.6, hydrogen-bonds and hydrophobic interactions bind the
individual pectin chains together. These bonds form as water is bound by
sugar and forces pectin strands to stick together. These form a
3-dimensional molecular net that creates the macromolecular gel. The
gelling-mechanism is called a low-water-activity gel or sugar-acid-pectin
gel. In low-ester pectins, ionic bridges are formed between calcium
and carboxylic acid of the galacturonic acid. This is idealized in the
so-called “egg box-model”. Low-ester pectins need calcium to form a gel, but
can do so at lower soluble solids and higher pH-values than high-ester
pectins."

Effectively, pectin's structure binds with water in an acid environment.
Sugar increases pectin's ability to gel, and affects the texture and consistency
of jellies and jams as they cool and set. Note: sugar is not key to the
preservation of the jam - the sterile environmental and acidity are more
important.

The pectin content in all fruit is also generally higher when fruit is just
barely ripe and diminishes as it matures from fully ripe to overripe. The
process of ripening involves the breakdown of pectins, which softens the fruit
as it ripens. Apples and crabapples (especially unripe ones) are good sources of
pectin and are often used in making commercial pectin. Some commercial pectin is
made from citrus peels.

Testing for Pectin

There is a test that uses rubbing alcohol to provide a rough indication of
the amount of pectin in the fruit. Mix 1 teaspoon of cooked, cooled
crushed fruit with 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. Use a closed container and
shake gently. Juices from fruit that is high in pectin will form a solid
gelatinous lump. If the fruit is low in pectin, it will form only small rubbery
particles. Those with an average pectin content will form a few pieces of the
jelly-like substance.

It ought to be needless to say, that just as you should never put a cup of
very hot coffee in your lap while driving a car, you should not eat the test
mixture (that with the rubbing alcohol in it) as rubbing alcohol is a poison.

Make your own pectin?

Cookbooks from 50-100 years ago often have recipes for extracting pectin from
apples for use in other jams and jellies. You may have noticed that old jam
recipes often include some lemon peel for the pectin content, and jelly recipes
from the pre-SureJell and Certo era are usually essentially apple jelly with
other fruit for flavor. Aside from blackberries, few
fruits have enough pectin to make self-jelling preserves unless you cook them
forever and add loads of sugar..

How much pectin to use?

Pectin needs the proper ratio acidity and sugar to make the jams or jellies
set. As pointed out at the top of this article, these proportions vary according
to the fruit you're using. Using the recipes I've provide,
and the proportions of pectin and sugar listed in the specific instructions that
come with the particular pectin that you use, gives a much higher quality jam
than if you just wing it.

Converting from Liquid Pectin to Dry Pectin

If your recipe calls for 1 pouch of liquid pectin, you can use dry pectin
instead. The average dry pectin comes in a box with a 1.75 ounce (49
grams) packet. This is the same as 1 pouch of liquid pectin. If you
have bulk dry pectin, 1 packet is slightly less than 1/2 cup in volume.
So, a little less than 1/2 cup of dry pectin equals 1 pouch of liquid
pectin.

Types of Pectin

The pectin comes in several types: I prefer the no sugar variety, since many
people are trying to cut down on their consumption of processed sugar, AND you
can use it with OR without sugar or other sweeteners!

Type of Pectin

Advantages

Disadvantages

Liquid, in jar or packet

already dissolved

More expensive, messier, doesn't keep once opened.

Dry, regular pectin

None

Makes jam with a LOT of added sugar in it.

Dry, lower sugar formula

Uses 40% less sugar to thicken

None I know of

Recommended for all jams (with or without sugar):Dry, No-sugar pectin

You can add no sugar, or add Stevia (or if you prefer, Splenda), or fruit juice or just
a little sugar, as you wish, and the mixture will still make a firm jam.

If you use NO sugar at all, the jam isn't as bright and the
texture is a bit more runny. But add just a little sugar or fruit juice and
it is fine.

None - old fashioned way to cook down the jam until it is
thick

no cost for pectin, but ..

Must add more sugar and cook much, much longer. Yield and
nutritional value are reduced due to overcooking and reduction from
evaporation.

Freezer jam pectin

No cooking involved

You MUST store the jam in your freezer or fridge.
And it doesn't always set (gell, firm up) well.

Low methoxyl pectin sugar
(one brand is Pomona Pectin)

Does not require any sugar; it uses calcium to jell the
fruit.
Best for Pepper jelly and Mint jelly.

You can use low-calorie and no-calorie sweeteners like Stevia, (or if you prefer, Splenda), Aspartame
or Xylitol with it.

Pomonas Universal Pectin is a sugar-free, vegetarian,
low-methoxyl citrus pectin that is activated by calcium. Since it does not
require sugar to jell, jams and jellies can be made with less, little, or no
sugar. Some other possible sweeteners are honey, fructose powder, sucanat,
concentrated fruit sweetener, maple syrup, agave nectar, frozen juice
concentrate, stevia, xylitol, or if you prefer, Splenda, and other artificial sweeteners. Each
1 oz. box of Pomonas Pectin contains a packet of pectin, a packet of calcium
powder and a sheet of newly revised directions and recipes. A JAMLINE
telephone number is included in case there are any questions.
* Concentrated and economical -- each box makes two to four recipes.

It works pretty well, especially if you are making no-sugar
or sugar substitute jams and jellies.

I've noticed the jam sometimes
doesn't have the clarity of the other pectins.

Also, it can be hard to find (I offer two online sources below farther
down this page)

Modified Citrus Pectin - MCP

According to
the American Cancer Society modified citrus pectin (MCP) is merely an
altered type of normal, natural pectin, which, when eaten as a dietary
supplement is thought to have some anti-cancer properties. Understand that
as a supplement, people eat a whole lot more than is used in canning, so I
don't believe that an reputable authroity is saying that by using this type
of pectin in making jam, you will reduce your risk of cancer.For making
jam, MCP
works pretty well. It provides a reliable set in low and no-sugar
jams. I still prefer the more common Dry, No-sugar pectin (above), as
I prefer the smoother texture that I feel results compared with MCP.

It can be difficult to find locally; I have a link to a
reliable online supplier (Amazon), below.

Note: ClearJel® is a starch that is used in making pie fillings.
It is not a pectin, but a unique starch that is safer to use in making pie
fillings, like home canning apple
pie filling or blueberry pie
filling. as it is more uniform for heat distribution.

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